UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL
Statement by H.E. Mr John Dauth LVO Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
The Situation in the Middle East
New York 15 September, 2003
Mr President
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has taken a savage turn. Let us hope that this upsurge of violence will give everyone pause for thought.
In the two most recent terrible suicide bombings in which innocent lives were lost, there were three Australians among the injured. Let me take this opportunity to convey my deepest condolences to the families of all the innocent victims of this terrible and long drawn-out conflict.
Australia is disheartened that this latest upsurge in violence has come at a time when the Quartet�€™s Roadmap to a peaceful settlement, including a secure Israeli state in coexistence with an independent Palestinian state, was showing some promise. No-one expected the way forward to be easy, but there was a growing sense of the need to persevere despite setbacks.
The latest setbacks have been bitter ones. We in Australia experienced last year�€™s terrible Bali bombings and we know how difficult it is to look past such traumatic events to a future in which we work together to ensure they no longer happen. But this is what we must all do.
Australia shares the concern of other countries about the Israeli Cabinet�€™s decision in principle to remove Mr Arafat and the subsequent statement by Mr Olmert, Israel�€™s Deputy Prime Minister that expulsion was one option, liquidation another. Australia supports neither of these options. They will not advance the Roadmap. All parties must cooperate to bring an end to terrorism.
We welcome the support in the Palestinian draft resolution for the Roadmap. We support, too, the call for an end to all violence.
Last year, we said we hoped that the Roadmap would be given a chance to work. The Roadmap is the only available internationally-endorsed path to a peaceful settlement. It has to be made to work �€“ we must all help to ensure that it does. There is really no rational alternative.
Central to prospects for the Roadmap�€™s success will be credible guarantees for the security of Israelis. Australia makes no apology for its abiding commitment to Israel�€™s territorial integrity and its right to exist in peace and security. We have also called for a viable and independent Palestinian state and have said we would be generous in our support for a new Palestinian state.